Format Guide
Creator Flow Content Types and Custom Content Types
Creator Flow now organizes built-in formats into Cinema, TV, Social Media, and Advertisement. Each type carries its own structure profile, aspect-ratio default, duration range, and downstream planning lane.
If you are unsure where to begin, start with Short. It is the default cinema-first micro short film route and gives you a real beginning-turn-payoff arc without committing to long-form structure.
Category Map
Cinema
Narrative-first cinematic formats with authored visual arcs and stronger dramatic payoff.
Built-in types
TV
Serialized and chapter-driven formats built for recurring story progression and continuity.
Built-in types
Social Media
Creator-native formats shaped by performance, rhythm, direct address, and retention-friendly pacing.
Built-in types
Advertisement
Conversion-oriented formats built around hooks, proof, messaging clarity, and stronger calls to action.
Built-in types
Built-In Formats
The guide below is generated from the same shared registry used by the picker. That means the labels, descriptions, aspect-ratio defaults, and planning ranges here stay aligned with the actual product.
Cinema
Short
16:9 default · 30s to 2m 30s
Cinema-first micro short film with a full narrative turn and payoff in minimal runtime.
A compact one-chapter cinematic story built for a clean setup, escalation, emotional turn, and decisive ending.
Short Film
16:9 default · 2m to 10m
Single-chapter cinematic storytelling with room for multiple scenes and stronger dramatic runway than a short.
A fuller one-chapter cinematic narrative with breathing room for multiple scene blocks, stronger dramatic continuity, and a more earned payoff.
Movie
16:9 default · 15m to 60m
Long-form cinematic structure with broader chapter and scene coverage.
A feature-style chapter arc built for larger-scale escalation, reversals, and longform dramatic progression.
Trailer
16:9 default · 30s to 2m
Punchy teaser pacing built around reveals, escalation, and a high-impact close.
A cinematic tease built for escalating promise, selected reveals, and a final stinger instead of full resolution.
TV
Episode
16:9 default · 3m to 8m
Serialized chapter with room for multiple beats and character progression.
A multi-chapter episodic structure with modular escalation, continuity anchors, and space for recurring arcs.
Web Series
16:9 default · 3m to 9m
Episodic pacing optimized for recurring digital episodes and hooks.
A modular chapter-driven format built for retention, recurring friction, and strong episode handoffs.
Documentary
16:9 default · 5m to 30m
Structured factual storytelling with clear progression and scene grounding.
A grounded observational structure organized around evidence, process, environment, interviews, and escalating insight.
Social Media
Music Video
16:9 default · 45s to 4m
Rhythm-first visual storytelling with high style and minimal exposition.
A one-chapter visual structure organized around musical progression, performance energy, choreography, and motif evolution.
Talking Head
9:16 default · 30s to 3m
Direct-to-camera creator format built around personality, point of view, and supporting proof.
A one-chapter direct-address structure with a sharp thesis, supporting proof or cutaways, and a clear takeaway.
Advertisement
Commercial
9:16 default · 15s to 45s
Conversion-focused ad structure with a fast hook, product proof, and strong call to action.
A one-chapter persuasive arc built for hook, desire/problem framing, reveal, proof, and direct CTA.
UGC
9:16 default · 15s to 1m
Creator-native ad format that feels personal, proof-led, and closer to a recommendation than a polished spot.
A one-chapter creator testimonial/demo arc with a quick lived-in hook, believable proof, and creator-style CTA.
Explainer
16:9 default · 30s to 3m
Concept-first ad format built to clarify how something works and why it matters.
A one-chapter structured explanation arc built around hook, problem framing, clear demo/explanation, recap, and CTA.
Custom Content Types
Custom content types are for recurring formats that deserve their own planning route. They do not replace the built-in system. Instead, they inherit a built-in base type for canonical behavior and layer a custom structuring prompt on top.
How to build one well
- Pick the built-in base type whose pacing and downstream behavior are already closest to your format.
- Set the target duration so story planning and scene generation know the expected size of the custom content type.
- Write the structuring prompt in terms of chapter shape, beat density, escalation pattern, reveal rhythm, and payoff style.
- Save it when the custom content type will be reused, or use it once for a one-off experiment.
Good signals for a custom content type
- You repeat the same editorial pattern across projects and want the planner to treat it as its own lane.
- You already know the best built-in base type, but you need a more specific beat structure or payoff rhythm.
- Your team needs a saved format for one client, channel, or campaign family rather than a one-off prompt.
Quick rule
If a built-in type already matches the structure, use the built-in type. Create a custom content type only when you need a repeatable structure profile that would otherwise be rewritten by hand every time.
Fast Selection Rules
- Start with Short when you want narrative storytelling and you are not sure how big the story should be yet.
- Choose Talking Head when the creator voice is the format, not just a delivery detail.
- Choose UGC when proof and recommendation energy matter more than polished brand distance.
- Choose Explainer when clarity, demo logic, or onboarding structure are the primary job.
- Choose a custom content type when your team already has a stable format name and planning pattern of its own.
Use these guides to move from choosing a format into project setup, scene generation, and finishing.